Improved beiok-maohine



Y @einen faire atrnt'ffte. i

`E. P. H. cAPRoN, or SPHINGFIELnoHIo, AssicNoHro HIMSELF, GEORGE H.GERHISH, AND D. B. RICH.

Letters .Patent INo. 76,888, dated April 21, 1868.

IMPROVED BRIGlfMAGHINl-l.

VT0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN Be it known that I, .E. P. H. OAPHON, ofSpringfield, in the county of Clark, and State of Ohio, haveinvonted newand useful Improvements in Brick-Machines; and-:I do hereby declare thefollowing to be afull and correct description of the same, suicient toenable others skilled in the art to whichmy improvements appertain'ypart of this specification, and iu whichto fully understand andconstruct the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which make Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved brickmachine inline :c z, g. 2 Figure 2 is a top view of the same. Figure Sis avpartialand secti'onal side elevation of the same. Figure 4 is a sectional sideview, and

Figure 5 a sectional end view of vfny improved follower. Like lettersindicate like parts in the` several figures. .l i My improvements belongto that class of brick-machines in which Ya revolving table contains themoulds, which, as they pass under the cylinder, are lled, and from whichthe bricks are pushed out by followers, when the moulds have passedunder the cylinder; and myimprovements consist'in providing the surfaceof the revolving table, between the moulds, withsteel plates, forpurposes hereinafter described.

` Also, in the peculiar construction ofthe screw-blades in the cylinder,which force the clay into the moulds, andi the manner of attachmenttothe main shaft. 1

Further, in novel means of securing and operating the striker-plate, andof giving a pressurefrom below to the brick when undertherstriker-plate, so as to insure a uniform density of the brick; and iI Lastly, in the construction of the follower, the means of supportingit,` and adjusting its upper plate, and attaching to the latter thecovering of cloth commonly used. l i In the drawings, A may representthe bottom pieces of the frame, connected by crossibeams, B, in one ofwhich the main shaft, C', has its lower bearings. This shaft passesthroughthe stationary circular plate D, and

supports the revolving table E, the pivot of which it forms, and whichis provided with moulds a. The shaft C passes through its upper bearingin a beam, F, supported from the cross-beam, which connects the uprightbeams G, and is on its top provided with a gear-wheel, H, which mesheswith another smaller gear-wheeLI, on the shaft J, which has its upperbearing on the upper 'cross-beam, its low'er one being formed by ashoulder on the shaft J, resting on a cross-piece, K, about the centreof the cylinder L,just above the screw-blades M, the shaft passingthrough the piece K into the screw-blades. These latter are cast solid1with an opening in the centre large and deep enough only, however, toallow the lower end of the shaftJ to pass into the same suilciently toallow their being securely attached to the shaft `by means of aset-screw, 6. -As now constructed, these Screw-blades have the openingpass entirely through -their centre, the shaft passing entirely throughthe same, and causing the blades to-frequently split at the lower partof the opening, which is entirely obviated by my improved mode offastening the blades to the shaft. The opening in the bottom of thecylinder is of a width corresponding to the` length of the moulds ainthe revolving table E, and each of the screw-blades M has a part orshoulder, c, of

suiiicient size to allow them to freely revolve in the opening in thebottom'of the cylinder L. These shoulders c are a continuation of thelower curve ofthe blades, 'and diverge in opposite directions from thecentre of the blades.

The cylinder L is secured on a platform or table, N, which is supportedbythe beams G and standards d, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. l

The moulds a in the revolving table E are of the usual construction, butthe interval or spacebetween each two moulds I cover with steel plates,e. Revolving mould-tables are now commonly cast, and the continualrubbing ofthe clay on their surface verysoon wears them'out, and makesthem uneven, especially at the long' edges of themoulds, which resultsin the brick being made with uneven edges, and of au uneven appearance.

thus controls the amount of pressure'exerted through the follower.

` n in the middle of the end-pieces n. i These rods are kept in anoutwardly-projecting position by means of theyv side view clearly showsthis improvement.

"position of the pressing and `fillingscrew blades,

`by' another improvement on brick-machines.

i the striker-plate.

abecome uneven, one follower-roller,

caused by the friction of the same between the two metal surfaces.

, leises I prevent this diiliculty by letting the steel plates einbetween the moulds a, as described, the edges andsurface of which willbe polished by the friction, and then prevent the adherence of clay tothe surface ofthe revolving table, and` consequent resistance orfriction.

These steel plates e will be so fitted and secured" to thc face of themould-wheel, that they can be readily -detached when worn by use, andothers substituted in their place. By this means the necessity of makinga newmonld-whcel at short intervals is entirely obviated, and this is ofspecial importance where the machines are to be used in country placesor small villages, where large foundries and machine-shops do not exist,as in such cases the machine can be suppliedin the first instance withany desired number of extra plates,

whichcan be inserted whenever required, without taking the machineapart, or stopping its use but for a fcw moments.

In figs. 2 and 3 my improvements in the striker-plate are clearly shown.f is a short plate, cast with and on thecylinder L, a suiiicientdistance -above the revolving mould-table E to allow the striker-plate gto freely slide under it. Near the cylinder, and about the middle ofthis plate f, is a hole, through which a rod, h, passes, andrcsts'against the surface of the striker-plate, g. The upper endof this rod isprovided with aserew thread, g, which passes through a lug, g2, `on `theupper cross-beam,V and is made adjustable by a nut, z'. By adjusting therod L by means of the nut, it can be made to press more or less on thestriker-plate g, according tothe pressure the same is desired torexerton the clay in the moulds. .At its ontr end the plate g has a shortpost, t", provided with a horizontal hole, ,through which a rod, t?,passes, the rod being pivoted, on the plateg at z'`. It will be seenthat the`striker-plate g is thus held merely by thelfriction of the ro'di: -in 'the post il, which is regulated by' a setserew,j, and by thefriction ofthe rod li on its surface.

i The rod h adjusts the pressure the plate g exerts on thebricks in themoulds, and thc rod i2 keeps the plate in place. Shouldany stonesV orstems get Ainto any rof the moulds, which cannot pass,` under thestriker-plate, and threaten to do damage to the machine,`the friction'ofthe red i in the post t" is not so powerful as to prevent thestriker-plate from slipping from its place, which at once indicates tothe attendant that the mould over which it lies must be cleared. The'amount of friction is adjusted by the.sctscrcw j.

As the striker-plate exerts its pressureupon the top of the bricks, itoften happens that the lower part of.

the'same is less dense or compact than the top, thusmaking a .weak anduneven brick. `I overcome this defect 1 i i i The stationary plate, D,bears the usual circular cam, O,h.y means of which the followers areenabled to discharge the bricks from the moulds. I form a horizontalslet, le, in the straight part' of the cam,just under ln this slot,by'means of a set-screw and nut, It", I secure a plate, Z, having aninclined upper" edge, and provided with a vertical slot, Z. As thefollowers bring the bricks under the striker-plato,'its roller ascendsthe inclined plate Z, and thus an equal-pressure is exerted on the brickfrom all sides, and its cvenness of density is certain. The plate `Z isadjustable by means of the slots'c and l', both vertically andlaterally, and

Figs. 4 und 5 are detached views of the follower, which consists of themainT-shaped part m, the'cndpieces n, and the top-plate a. A peculiarityof my follower is that its roller does not, as in other brick-machines.rest on the cam O during the entirei'revolution:

of the revolving table E, but comesin contact with the same only on itsinclined part, o', as shown in figs. 1 and 3. Isupport my followersbymeans of rods p, pivoted in recesses spring q, one end of which isfastened in the recess n', whilst the other bears 'against the rods p.The moulds, `at the lower part of their inner sides,

When havingpassed the incline, however, thefollo'wer again sinks down inthe mould, .the springs q forcing out the rodsp from the recesses n asthe sides ofthe slots r diverge, `and cause the lower ends of the rodsto rest against the shoulders lr.4 y

The wear and` tear, of the follower rollers in common machincson theinclined cam causes the 'bricks to or one place on the inclinedcam,wcaring away more than another. It will be easily understood that bymy mode of supporting the follower, this difficulty is entirelyovercome.

The length ofthe rodsp will of conrse`determinethe thickness of thebricks. To enable me to change the size, and to compensate'forany wearand tear of the parts, I make the lower endsof the rods p adjustable, byproviding therewith ascrew-thread and a screwcap, s, the operation ofwhich will be easily understood. In iig. 5 the rodp on the left side ofthe follower is shown in position when the latter is on the incline o',and the right one in position when the follower is just about topassunder the cylinder L. i Y

Inmachines in which the top-plate of the follower is made adjustable,and covered with cloth, the cloth is usually sewed on to the plate,perforations being provided for the thread. Great inconvenience,however, is experienced in this mode of fastening,`as the threads on theunder side of the plate break continually, which is I cast this platewith a recess, t, around and across its under side, and with 'suitableperforations passing through the same.V i Into these recesses I placestripsof leather, and through and over this I make the stitches. Theleather being a soft material', no danger arises of breaking the thread,and it is dense enugh to secure the cloth to be held iirmly. In iig. 4,a sectional has before been made adjustable on its front side, the rearpart being hinged toF the follower fon the purpose of compensating forthe greater compactncss erf the brick on the rcarside. But it is notalways on the rea-r side that the brick is made'denser,` ascircumstances, such as the often bring the greatest density to thecentre of the brick. To

am aware that the top-plate of the follower arc provided with inclinedslots r', forming atthcir lower end a shoulder, r. j .i Against theseshonldersr -the ends of the rodsp rest when supporting the follower, butwhen the inelinefof1 elevates the follower, the converging sides of theslots r force the rodsp against th'e springs q into the recesses n".

'lasse 3 enable me to adjust either side, as circumstances may require,I make the top-plate of thevfollower entirely detached from the same,with its edges bevelled as shown, and secure it to the .follower bymeans of screws, u, as shown in iig. 4, and to adjust it, useset-screws, t', placed on the outer edges of the plate. Thus, ifI desireto adjust eitherv side of the plate, I elevate or lower it, by means ofthe screws v, and themsecurely hold it by means of the screws u. j

/ I have also an improved mode of securing and 'adjusting theroller w ofthe follower, by pivoting it in a box, w1, which slides in a recess, wg,in the under side of the 'main part,` m, and holding it by 'set-screws,y, while their position in the recess w2 is adjusted by set-screws z,against which 'the box bears.

By all these means of adjustment, I am enabled to x the moulds to anicety, to produce any-sized brick,

being at the same time certain that it will come out even and 'compactin every part.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim isy 1. Securing thestriker-plate in position, bymeans of therod z'and set-screw j, arrangedto operate substanf tially as described. Y

2. The'rod h, provided with a nut, z', and arranged to bear upon thestriker-plate g, substantially as set forth.

3. I claim facing the iron mould-wheel E, above described, with thedetachable V-shaped steel plates e, substantially as set forth. l

4. The incline Z, made adjustable both horizontally and vertically, forvarying the pressure and lpressing thebrick from b'elow, substantiallyas described.

-5. Providing the follower m with the hinged supports p thereon, and tlesprings q, for supporting the follower clear from the track while themoulds are passing under the hopper, substantially as described.

6. The combination and arrangement of the hinged supports p, nuts s, andthe shoulders r in the mould -wheel, for adjusting the follower to varythe thickness of the brick as desired.

, 7. Providing the follower' m with a friction-roller, w, that cansbeadjusted to compensate' for the wear ot the rollers, or the track, orboth, substantially as set forth.

8. Securifngthe cloth to the plate by means of the grooves #,and leatherstrips placed therein, and sewing v through the leather, substantiallyas described. i

9. The plate a, with 'bevelled edges, and adjusted on the follower m bymeans of the screws, -substantially as set forth.

. E. P. H. CAPRON. Witnesses:

W. C. DODGE, j H. B. MUNN.

